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Question 40 of 72 · World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies
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The largest city of Sri Lanka is:

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Answer: Option A — Colombo

Detailed Solution

Colombo is the largest city and the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.

About Colombo:

  • It is located on the western coast of the island, near the mouth of the Kelani river.
  • It remains the main business, executive and judicial centre of the country.
  • Its name is believed to come from the Sinhala "Kolon thota" (port on the Kelani river) or "Kola-amba-thota" (harbour with leafy mango trees); the Portuguese linked it to Christopher Columbus.
  • It has a large natural harbour, which made it an important port on the trade routes between Europe and Asia.
  • It was successively controlled by the Portuguese (16th century), the Dutch (17th-18th centuries) and the British (from 1796).
  • The Port of Colombo is one of the busiest ports in South Asia, and a large share of India's trans-shipment cargo passes through it.
  • The "Colombo Port City" is a large land reclamation project built with Chinese investment.
  • India's Adani Group is developing the "Colombo West International Terminal".

Organisations and events:

The "Colombo Plan", for economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific, was launched in 1950 at a Commonwealth conference in Colombo; its headquarters is in Colombo. India is a founding member.

The SAARC Cultural Centre is in Colombo.

Places of interest: Galle Face Green, the Gangaramaya Temple, the National Museum and the Lotus Tower (the tallest tower in South Asia, opened in 2022).

Other important cities of Sri Lanka:

  • Kandy: the last royal capital (until 1815); home to the "Temple of the Tooth" (Sri Dalada Maligawa), which houses a tooth relic of the Buddha; UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Galle: a historic fort city built by the Portuguese and Dutch; UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa: ancient capitals with Buddhist monuments.
  • Trincomalee: a deep natural harbour on the east coast.
  • Hambantota: a port built with Chinese loans, leased to a Chinese company in 2017 for 99 years.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Kandy is a cultural city in the central hills.
  • ✗Jaffna is the main city of the Tamil-majority north.
  • ✗Galle is a historic fort city in the south.

Quick tip

Remember: largest city of Sri Lanka = Colombo (commercial capital; Colombo Plan 1950; Lotus Tower); Kandy = Temple of the Tooth; Hambantota = leased to China (2017).

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World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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